THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL AND SILICA FIBER FREE™ CANARYSEED

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Traditional varieties of canaryseed have sharp fibers on the outside of the hull that are invisible to the naked eye. These protective hairs, called spicules, are almost 98% silica—like tiny glass needles.

The University of Saskatchewan developed a new variety of canaryseed that does not grow these silica fibers, largely with the objective of reducing skin irritation for people who handle the seeds during harvesting and processing.

Most farmers still plant the traditional varieties, however, because 1) the grain yields are higher and 2) most canaryseed is still sold as bird food—silica fibers don't cause problems for birds.

Since several scientific studies have linked ingestion of traditional canaryseed with esophageal cancer, Pureza sells only Silica Fiber Free™ canaryseed.